Wire-nail machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetl.

G. ALEXANDER. WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

No. 496,389. Patented May 2, 1893-.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 2. G. ALEXANDER. WIRE NA'IL MACHINE.

13775171271" I e e Mia M Patented May 2, 1 893.

, n i: m. .m r m liJL J. v- 9 P? d4 Lima, WASnmGTO'd o r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC f GEORGE ALEXANDER, OF NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO.

WIRE-NAIL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,389, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed April 19,1892.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Philadelphia, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Nail Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements on nail-machines and particularly on such which are used for the manufacture of nails out of wire.

This machine comprises in general means to feed the wire intermittingly forward as the nails are formed and out off, means to hold the wire while the nail-head is produced, means to form the nailhead and means to shape the point and also to sever the com pleted nail from the wire. The construction of some of these means has been improved in a manner which will appear more clearly hereinafter; the principal features of my improvement reside, however, in a construction whereby the parts are adapted to be'driven by gearwheels, instead of by cams, which latter Iconsider objectionable, owing to their quick wear and consequent inaccuracy of movement, a condition which should particularly be avoided innail-machines where the most exact adjustment of the extent of each motion is of imperative necessity.

Other features reside'in the provision and construction of means whereby the position of the more important parts may be closely adjusted, and by which especially the amount of wire required to form the nail-head is accurately determined.

The details of my invention are explained in the following specification and pointed out in the claims, as well as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, and 2, show a topand sideview' respectively of the machine. Figs. 3, and 4, show vertical sections of the same, taken on line 3-3 of Figs. 1, and 2, the first section being shown as looking to the right from said Serial r... 429,740. (No model.)

section line, the second section being shown as looking to the left from said line.

7, is the wire, coming from a reel and pass ing between a set of guide-rollers 8, which straighten it before entering the machine.

9, is a gripper, so constructed as to be capable of holding and feeding the wire, while moving toward the machine, but permitting the same to slip, while moving outwardly. Both rollers 8, and gripper 9, are secured to a slide 10, which is supported and moves in grooves 11, and has a reciprocatory movemen t,corresponding in length with the amount of wire required for each nail. From gripper 9, the wire passes through between two jaws 12,-and 13, which also, when close together form and complete the die 14, in which the nail-head is formed. A short distance away from these jaws are the cutters 15, which form the point of the nail and at the same time out it off from the wire.

16, is the hammer which forms the head of the nail and is secured to a slide 17, moving in guides 18, and receiving a reciprocatory motion from a connecting-rod 19,'and crankpin 20, actuated by two crank-wheels 21. These crank-wheels rotate with a shaft 22, which is driven by a pulley 23, and assisted by a fly-wheel 24.

The general operation of the machine is as follows: After a nail has been completed and cut off, there protrudes a certain quantity'or end of wire beyond jaws 12,13, and die 14,-

owingto the fact that the cuttersdo not cut off the nail or wire close to the said jaws.-

This end which 'fills the space between the said jaws and cutters furnishes the m'ate'rial out of which the nail-head is formed by'a' hammer-blow, which drives the said=end into and flattens it against die 14. Vhile this blow is delivered, jaws l2, and 13, are tightly closed so as to hold the wire and'form the die complete. In this position they also prevent the wire from following gripper 9, which" with slide 10, moves out so as to be in ready position to feed again the instant jaws 12, and 13, open. After the nail-head is completed, jaws 12, 13, open and the Wire is fed forward by the in-moving gripper 9, and slide 10, closely following the receding hammer. At the proper moment and when the feedmotion is at the end of its stroke, cutters 15,

come together, forming the point and cutting off the completed nail. This latter is quickly cleared out of the way of the returning hammer by a so-called kicker 25, operated by a cam 26, on one of the crank-wheels 21. After this the same cycle of operations is repeated. The feed-mechanism, is driven by a cogged wheel 27, operated by one of the crank-wheels 2], which is provided with cogs for this purpose. Grank-wheel 27, is supported on a shaft 28, which revolves in boxes 29, secured to the under side of the machine-frame. Its crank-pin 30, joins by means of aconnectingrod 3l,to a lug 32, projecting from the under side of slide 10. By means of this gear-connection the feed-motion is made positive and directly derived from the main-shaft. Jaws 12, and 13, are placedin a horizontal position, which prevents them from dragging or dropping apart on account of their gravity, inca-se there should be any lost motion or wearin any of the parts. One of the jaws 13, opens to permit the wire to feed forwardand closes to form with the otherjaw 12, the die 14, complete and in such .position also holding the wire, while the nail-head is being formed and the feed-mechanism moves back. Such opening and closing are done bya cam 33, secured to the main-shaft and operating a lever 34, pivoted at 35. This lever in turn acts upon an angle-lever 36, pivoted at 37, and connected to jaw 13, by means of a shortrod 38. The connection of rod 38, is notrigid-so as to permit a close adjustment of jaw13, which is done by means of a screw 39 and jam-nut40. Jaw 13, is caused to follow lever 36, outwardly by means of a spring 41, while rod 38,is held in position by sockets, one-in the rear-end of jaw 13, and one in its rear-end, into which the end of screw 39,fits.

42, is a weight secured to the horizontal limb of lever 36, and opposes the action of cam 33.

Cutters 15, are secured to two rockers 43, swinging on shafts 44, which are supported in boxes 45, on the machine-frame. These rockers are swung to and from each other by cranks 46, to which they are connected by links 47. driven by shafts 48, supported in boxes 49,: and driven by two pairs of miter-Wheels 50. This insures a positive operation of cutters 15, derived directly from the mainshaft and and without the use of cams. of wire beyond jaws 12, 13, out of which the. nail-head is formed being dependent on the location of the point at which the cutters; sever the wire, it follows that if this point, re-: spectively the distance between cutters and jaws,is made adjustable, the length or quan- Granks 46, are secured to and- The quantity tity of wire between these latter may be regulated to accommodate larger or smaller nailheads. Such adjustment is obtained by moving cutters 15, to or from jaws 12, 13, which is accomplished by shifting shafts 44, with rockers 43, in their boxes 45. The parts are held in their adjusted positions by screws 46', bearing against the ends of shafts 44, and secured and held by brackets 47', and jamnuts 48'.

A description of the details of the construction by which cutters 15, are held and adj usted on rockers 43, as well as a description of the same features with reference to jaw 12, has been omitted, inasmuch as it forms no part of myinvention.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In a nail-machine of the kinddescribed, the means for opening and closing the'jaws which hold the wirewhile the head is formed and which consists of the combination with said jaws of angle-lever 36, lever 34, weight 42, cam 33, and main-shaft 22, allas substantially shown and described.

2. In a nail-machine of the kinddescribed, the means for opening and closing the jaws which hold the wirewhile the head isformed and which consist of the combination with said jaws of adjustable rod 38, adjusting screw 39, angle lever 36, lever 34, weight 42, cam 33, and main-shaft 22, all as substantially shown and described.

3. In anail-machine of the kind described, the means for operating thecutters which finishthe nail and separate it-from the wire and which means consist of the combination of rockers 43, which carry said cutters, shafts 44, upon which they aretpivotally -secured links 47, cranks 46, shafts48, miter-wheels 50, and mainshatt 22, all as substantially-shown and described.

4. In a nail-machine of the kind described, the means for adjusting the amount of metal requiredto tillthe die which forms'the head and which consist of the combination with rockers 43, of shafts 44, to which they are connected, boxes which support said :shafts and in. whichthey may be longitudinally adj usted and screws 46', bearing against the ends of shafts 44, and holding them in their adjusted position, all as substantially shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in .presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

G. W. DOUGHER'IY, M. V. BEAM. 

